The Parkes 64-metre radio telescope in Australia, which has been successfully operated since 1961, was used in the discovery of RRATs. (Image Credit: Shaun Amy/ CSIRO/ ATNF)

Parabolic Dishes work for radio waves in the same way that large mirrors do in Reflector Telescopes. In telescopes, the larger the mirror is, the more light it can catch and pass to the receiver (eyepiece). In telescopes, the goal is not to make objects bigger, but to make them more bright. Thus making the dimmest stars visible.

The same is true for radio signals. The larger the dish is, the more of the signal you can gather and pass to the detector (WiFi device). This will allow you to focus radio waves collected over a large surface area to a small point which increases signal strength. These dishes can boost your range from 10 miles and up.